Tag: UK

Post Office Ltd today (February 19) opened a six week local public consultation on its Area Plan for London. In line with the criteria and factors set by the Government in its response document, DTI The Post Office Network, Government Response to Public Consultation May 2007 (www.dti.gov.uk/consultations/page36024.html) the Area Plan proposes future provision of Post Office services through a network of 681 branches across the area, resulting in the closure of 169 branches.

Under the proposals more than 7 million London residents will either see no change to their nearest branch or will remain within one mile (by road distance) of an alternative branch.

The Government has already undertaken a 12-week national consultation before reaching a decision to reduce the UK wide network of Post Office branches by up to 2,500 from its current level of over 14,000 while continuing to provide funding to support a more sustainable network in the future. The proposals now published support the national accessibility criteria introduced by the Government.

Under the area plan proposals 89.4 per cent of the area’s population will see no change in their nearest branch. A further 10.6 per cent live less than one mile by road distance from the nearest alternative branch, with 5.9 per cent within half a mile.

Post Office Ltd has reached these proposals after engaging with and taking input from the independent consumer watchdog on postal services, Postwatch, and from local authorities within the area, and has considered factors relating to geography, the availability of local transport and alternative access to key Post Office services, local demographics and the impact on local economies.